Roller device and track



.C. G. JOHNSON ROLLER DEVICE AND TRACK Filed Dec. l, 1926 atentedvv d CLARENCE e. JOHNSON, or HARTFORD CITY, INDIAN EOLLEE, DEVICE aan)A TRACK i Application filed December 1, 1926.. Serial No. 151,884.

This invention relates to builders .hardware such asis applicable. for the movable support of doors or other movable ,structures and which are lcharacterized by the j provision of a roller adapted to travel in or along a track, the movable object being connected to the axle of the roller, and has for its object to provide a simple constructed device of such type which. lends itself to 9 commercial production without complication t of'parts and which is by a novel association of the` roller L and its axle with means by which it may be attached to a movable object rendered capable of application in a manner and for purposes beyond that to which such devices are normally applicable.

The invention also contemplates the combination of a hinge and a roller whereby the pintle of the 4hinge forms the axle of the roller, and further wherein the said pintle is slidable in. the hinge for the adjustment of theroller theretowards; and further conl templates providing for the prevention of binding of the said pintle in the hinge.

vide a simply constructed form of roller wherein twopreferably identical plates are secured together and so shaped that they form a tread and a ball race and to utilize in combination therewith an axle having a conteluporary ball race, the balls being effectively enclosed and held in the races of the bearing andV securing together of the two y plates forming the roller on opposite sides of the balls. A Y

F urthermore,'it is proposed to. provide the tread portionof such a roller by the providing of anv annular corrugation in the outer marginal portions of each of the plates 40 so that such marginal vportions are expanded outwardly of the meeting faces lof the plates and then inwardly thereof whereby their edges meet in a -`plane approximating that of the said meeting faces of the plates.

Still further objeetssubsidiary to or resulting from the aforesaid objectsor from the construction orv operation of the invention as it Amay be `carried/into eiec't will becomel apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.'

Another object of the invention is to pro- In carrying the said invention into effectn I may provide as an improved article ofv builders hardware, a hinge having a sliding pintle and extending at one end vfrom the interlocking portions of the said hinge this endof the pintle being annularly recessed to `form a ball race accommodatingv balls which are held in place by the hub portion of a pulley comprising two plates or disks secured together, theinner margins of which disks are {iared in opposite directions to form an outer race and housing for the said balls so that when the plates are brought together-and secured against separation the said balls yentering between the. flared inner margins and seating in-the recess of the intle prevent removal' of the plates from t 1e pintle and form the bearings for the said roller. The outer marginal portions of the plates are aunularly corrugated so that when brought together they form a tubular-rim, the edges of the said disks meeting on the tread portion of the said rim in a plane common withV that of the meeting faces of the-two plates, the said wheel being movable towards'and from the hinge within'li'mits by reasonof the slidable nature of the pinion and the secure locking of the said wheel on'the said pintle by the engagement of the balls with the hub' of the two-part wheel and the annular lrecess of the said pintle.

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All of which is more particularly described i i and ascertained hereinafter by way of example, having reference to the accompanying drawmgs, wherein- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a roller equipped hinge embodying said invention, the said view also illustrating an improved track for the guidance of the roller;.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2w-:2ax A vthrough the two members Iofthe hinge; 'l

Figure v3 is a detaill perspective" view of i one of the disks of -which the roller is i v formed Figure 4 illustrates a- Amodification of the invention wherein a fixed bracket is utilized` in place of'a flexible hinge, and

ed orm of roller spindle.

Fi ure 5 is a sectional elevation of a modiuv Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several Figures of the drawings.

1 and 2 are the plates of a bracket in the form of a hinge, the plate 1 being indicated as having outwardly projecting ears 1a thereon, Abetween and through whichextends a tubular bearing member 3, and the plate 2 is provided with a tubular portion 4 einbracing the said bearing member, so that the member 4 is rotatable about the memberB.v

5 is a pintle or spindle slidably mounted in the said member 3 of the hinge plate 1, so that the said member 3 'forms a bearing for both'the tubular member 4 of the plate 2 and thepintle, and eliminates anyfriction between the lsaid pintle and the said meml ber 14, whereby irrespective of' any strain which may be set up in use between the plates of the hinge, no binding of the pintle which would prevent or restrict its free sliding in an axial direction yis set up; The said pintle is preferablyprovided with abutments 6 preventing its entrance into the bearing member of the hinge beyond a desired' extent, and the said pintle lsdesigned to extend substantially from one end of l the said bearing member, this projecting end being provided with an annu ar groove 7 vwhich forms the internal race for a series ofl balls 8 forming the ball bearing of a roller generally' numbered 9 which may in use travel within a track such as that gens erally numbered'lO inthe drawings. A sliding of the pintle in the said bearing member 3 of the hinge ermits the roller to adjustitself or to be, atjusted4 to accommodate itself to various positions which the, track may occupy relative to the hinge within limits governedby the extentV to which th-e pintle is 'slidable The roller-'0r wheel is shown as comprising two disks 11 and 12, the inner faces of which meet at 13, which disks are vsecured together such as by rivets 14, and these disksV are preferably identical in form as will be apparent from the drawings, each disk being provided with a central orifice 15 of a slightly greater diameter than the pintle so that they may be passed thereover'and provided with a flared inner marf gin l'contiguous to such central orifice so that when 'the two disks are secured together in the manner shown the said'inner fiared portionslt of the said disk form a 'recess 17', theinner' walls of which act as a race for the balls 8. Obviously in this construction the balls are placed in positiony in the, annular groove 7 of the pintle and relative to. the Einner wallof the iange 16 of one of the disks before the other disk is :'appliedthereto as they could not be passed into such position after the assembling of 'ward movement of the wheel.

the fact that the inner edges of the said disks so closely approach the outer surface of the pintle and for the same reason when the disks are so secured together aboutvthe balls and the pintle the said balls will effectively' prevent the removal of the disks from the pintle. 'I 1 j i This rforms a Very simple and reliable method of forming a wheel and effecting its assembling together and securing thereof in position relative to an axle which in the described device is the pintle 5. The outer margin of each disk is best formed with a corrugation 18 so that when the two disks are reversed in they manner described and brought together face to face the edges 19 are juxtaposed' circumferentially along the tread of the wheel and the said corrugations form'a tubular portion 20 giving' substantial breadth'to the said tread. In this way a two-piece wheel is formed from disks of l identical l'orm which admits of production at very low cost and provides an external race .for the ball bearing of effective design which elieiently hpuses the balls and secures them in position about the inner race.

The track 10 lends itself excellently to use with a device of the type referred to having the Atrack portion proper 21 formed with inclined inner and outer walls 22 and 23 guiding the roller or wheel along the center part of the track so that the wheel or the pintle is; prevented from coming into frictional contact with the side wall 24 ofthe track, h'e outer wall 23 preventing the wheel ,rom slipping laterally from the said track, and/ as a means of preventing the wheel from being lifted over the said side wall 23, except when positively tilted for i that purpose, an upper or guard wall 25 is provided acting as a guard to limit the up- 'lhe said wheel may under favorable circumstances however be tilted outwardly until the tread portion '20 is clear of the guard wall 25 when it may be lifted out of the track.

As shown in Figure 4, the pi'ntle 5 hnly be housed in any suitable. form oi bracket such as that shown 4in the said figure, wherein 26 is a solid bracket having a base'plate 27 and a tubular portion 28 in which the pintle is slidably housed.

Figure 5 illustrates an arrangement of roller and spindle which lends itself excellently to use with heavy structures, such large garage doors, 36 being the spindle which has an enlarged end portion. 37 providing an abutment or shoulder'38. The enlarged end 37 is provided with an annular stop or rib 29 which projects between two sets of balls 30 and 31. The disks or plates 32 and 330i? the roller are flared at 34 to embrace the balls and form a race i2raintaining them in position about the stop The. form of hinge and roller described, Aas well as the track section, is very well adapted to use in connection with doors of Lthe type illustrated in my coending application, Serial No. 741,837, led October 6, 1924, and lends itself excellentl tov the' carryingv out of the operations o -such a This invention'maybe developed within the scope of the following claims without departing from the essential features of the said invention, and it is desired that the specification and drawing be read as merely illustrative and not in a limiting sense ex cept as necessitated by the prior art. What I claim'ise- 1. In a device of the class described, the

combination with .a hinge, of aV pintle' slid A ablymounted therein and projecting therefrom, and a roller journalled'directly on the projecting end of said pintlevand movable relative to said -hinge by virtue of the slid-v ing ofsaid pintle in said hinge.

2. The combination accordingto claim 1, wherein the pintle is provided with means limiting the movement of .said roller to-l wards said hinge.

3. The combination according to claim 1, whereinsaid 'hinge comprises a y pairy of plates, one of whichis provided with a tu.- bular bearing member about which the-other of said plates isswingable and said pintle is slidable in said tubular bearing' member.

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said hinge comprises a plate having outwardly projecting ears thereon between which ears extends a tubular bearing member, and a second plate having a tubular portion embracing said bearing member, said pintle being slidable in said tubular bearing member. i

5. Hardware for the movable support of structures comprising a bracket having a tubular portion, a pintle slidable in the tubular portion of said bracket and rojecting therefrom,'and a'roller journa led -directly on the projecting end of said pintle, said roller being movable by :the slidingv of said pintle towards or from said bracket.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the pintle is provided with means limiting the approach o f said roller to said bracket.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. CLARENCE G. OHNSON.

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